Gas generator for oil well pump engines



1954 E. R. WILLIAMS GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES 3Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 2, 1952 INVEN TOR f/mer R M7/L A TTORNE K Dec.28, 1954 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,598,055

GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES Filed Jan. 2, 1952 3Sheets-Sheet 2 7 m I 1 ll 68 3 I A l 25 //0 I Z622 & 66 a I J-fl 70 52im 1 m m w 5 /6 p 60 r 3 7 INVENTOR.

HUM I Dec. 28, 1954 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,698,055

GAS GENERATOR FOR OIL WELL PUMP ENGINES Filed Jan. 2, 1952 5Sheets-Sheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

1/ 19. 6. Ewe/R W/W/kms United States Patent GENERATOR'FOR. 01L.WELLL'PUNIPXENGINES Elmer R; Williams,.GreatBend, Kans.,=assignor.to-?Neill Tank Company, Inc., Great Bend, -Knns., --a corpora-.tionof Kansas Application January. 2, 19.52,.SerialNo. 264,611

*3 Claims. (Cl. 166- 75) This invention relates to equipment ffor'use inconnection with-oil-wells and particularlyzthose utilizing an internalcombustion engine for operating "the oil well pump, the primary objectbeingto providestructure for making'it possible to utilize gas'formingapart of the petroleum products 'beingpumped asthe fuel supply for suchengine.

It is common practice to-operateinternal combustion engines serving as aprimemover for .oil well :pumps from free gas discharged from the pumpedproducts,but many wells today do not have asuffic'ient supply of suchfree gasto continuously supply the engine withits fuel requirements.

It is the most important object'of'the present invention therefore,toprovide .a generator capable of. automatically'separating gasfrom'thepetroleum products as the latter is being pumped from the well anddirecting suchgenerated fuel .to thetpump engine'for' use thereby duringcontinual operation.

Another important object of thepresent invention is to provide agenerator-utilizing heat as the means for causingseparation of thegasfromthezpetroleurnproducts, the heatbeing obtained fromtheexhaust-fumes of the-engine itself, thereby requiring no cost ofoperation whatsoever.

A further object of'the present invention isto-provide a gasgeneratorhaving a container for receiving a'portion of'the 'oil beingpumped and redirecting the same to the casing of thewell, theexhaustfumes of .the engine being brought into heat-exchangerelationship with the oil in the container to cause automatic separationof the gas and thereby presenting a continuous-"and constant fuelsupplyfor the engine.

A still further object :of this invention-istto provide a gasgeneratoroperable in conjunction withthe'well itself by utilizing the casingthereof as a storage-means for thegas generated when suchgas is 'notusedby'the engine as fast as the sameis produced, 'there being aclosed-system interconnecting the well casing "andzthe generator of thepresent invention.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide"agenerator for use'in connectionwith wells wherein it is notgpossible'to utilize the casing as a gas storage means, such generatorstill being capable however,-o'f-supplying a constant flow of gas to thepump engine.

Other objects include manyrirnportant .details of .construction, all ofwh-ichwillbe made clear as the .followin g specification progresses.

-In the'drawings:

Figure 1 is a-side-elevationalview of one form of gasgenerator'foroilwell pump engines and including-adiagr-ammaticflowchart, together with 'a section through a well and an elevationalview of-thepumping assembly.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side elevational view of thegeneratorsimilartoFig. 1, parts beingxbroken away and in section for clearness.

Fig. 3 is a transverse, cross-sectionalviewtaken on line IIIIII of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed cross-sectional view takenon line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of a modified form of gas generatorfor oil well pump engines.

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line VI--VI of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detailed cross-sectional view takenon line VIIVII of Fig. 6.

2,698,055 Patented .Dec. .28, 1.954

mounted within the drum 12 'in'spacecl :relationsliipto the inner -facesof the'walls-ofdrum 12,'-andinsul ation ('not 'shown) within :space18-o'f drum '12, completely surrounds the tank 16. 'The tank.16'in-turn..contains a cylindricalcontainer 20 that is likewise spacedfrom the side and bottom' walls of the tank 16.

'Fhecontainer 20 depends from the uppcrrnostwall '22 of=the tank 16and=receives a smaller cylindrical'receptacle' 24. The'receptacle 24isremova'ble from-wim in the container 20 through the medium ofanout-turned,

annular flange 26 on the receptacle 24 and restingupon the uppermostsurface of wall 22.

-A-series of bolts or other fasteningelements 28,:"releas ably'h'oldahollow 'dome -30, *togetherWith theflarrge 26,-att-ached to the wall 22.Bottom wall32'ofzthe treceptacle 24'is shaped.- as illustrated in.Fig."3 o'ftthe'drawings, presenting a'plurality of openings '34. Filteringmaterial '36 ispackedwithin the receptacle 24'and-comprises metalshavings or the like.

In Figure 1 of -*the drawings, there Eis illustrated .a pumping assemblybroadly designated by the :numeral 38, for -oil wells 40. Assembly 38includes "a prime mover in the nature "of *an internal "combustion:engine 42,-engine 42'operating a Walking beam 44 thatin'turnreiprocates-string 46 of a pump within-tube "'46 thatis in=turndisposed-within a casing-50'mounte'din the'well 40. T'he petroleumproducts 52--arepumpedto suitable storagetanks-not-shown, by means of aline 54. In accordancewi'th the presentyinvention, the'line54'is tappedwith a-conduit-56 that'isin'turnconnected with the "container "'20 atthe lowermost end thereof :after passing through the'drum 12 andthetankl6zin'the'nrannerillustrated-by-Fig 2- of' thedrawings.

A-cap 58closes the uppermost endof'the ca'sing 50 and a secondconduit'60 connecting with the :cap58 and, therefore, with the casing50, joins the container :20 below the receptacle'24 as shown in Fig.2 ofthe drawings.

-A:heat exchanger 62 is provided "by telescoping .a portion ofthe-conduit 56 within a portion-of the conduit "60. As shown in Fig. lof the drawings, exhaust fumes emanating from the engine 42 .aredirected into .the tank '--16-'eXtcr-iorly of the container 20 'by meansof a tube 64 passing through the drum I12 and connecting with the "tank16 adjacent the lowermost end thereof 'as shown in Figs. 2 and 3 ofthe-drawings. Such exhaust fumespass'fromithe tank 16-totheatmosphere'by means of a short nipple 66 traversing the sidevwalls'oftank'16 and drum 12 adjacent the uppermost endrof Ltank :16 :asshown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3.

Gas emanating 'from the petroleum products 152' withinthe container 20,is'directed to the engine 42 by means of a -second-pipe 68 'thatpassesthrough the 'drum '"1'2, and connects with the dome 30 'as-shownin'FigsflZand 4. Excess gas over and above that required to operate theengine-421s returnedtoxthc casing'50iby means ofa third pipe "70 joiningwith the cap .58 and passing through the drum 12, the tank 16, and thecontainer 20 adjacent the receptacle 24.

Avalve 72 in conduit56 controls :the flow of petroleum products '5-2 tothe container'20 and a valve74 within the "pipe'70 controls the flow ofgasfrom the container 20 "to l the casing 50.

In operation,the"initial starting of engine- 42maylbe accomplishedbypriming, in the usual manner. .Assoon as :assembly '38 commencespumping products 5.2 .to .Ithe storage tanksby'wayof linef54, valve 72may beopened to cause a-portion of such products 52to be pumped into thecontainer 20 by way of conduit 56. These products are initially heatedwithin the heat exchanger 62 and are redirected from the container 20 tothe casing 50 by way of conduit 60. Hot exhaust fumes emanating from theengine 42 and passing through the tank 16 by way of tube 64 and nipple66, operate to heat the products 52 within container 20, causing theloose gas ends to rise therefrom within container 20 and pass into thereceptacle 24 by way of openings 34. Filtering of the rising gases bythe shavings 36, removes such liquid as may be carried with the gas, theliquid draining back through the openings 34 into the container 20.

By means of a suitable control forming a part of the engine 42, the fuelrequirements of the engine 42 are fed thereto constantly and at apredetermined rate. Normally, more gas will be generated within thecontainer 20 than is required to operate the engine 42 and such excessgas is redirected to the casing 50 from the container 20 by way of thepipe 70. In many wells, the

gas pressure that is built up within the casing 50, willnot adverselyeffect the free flow of products 52 to the pump and therefore, a readysupply of gas fuel is made available for use by the engine 42 at alltimes. Thus, in the event that the generator fails to produce suflicientgas to supply the engine 42 for a short period of time, the supply ofgas within the casing 50 above the products 52, will pass to the engine42, from casing 50 by way of pipe 70, container 20, receptacle 24, dome30 and pipe 68.

In many wells however, it is not possible to store the excess gas withinthe casing 50 for the reason that such pressure acting upon the level ofproducts 52 within the well 40, adversely effects the free flow of theproducts 52 into the tube 48 containing the pump. In such cases, it ispreferable to make use of a generator 100 forming the subject matter ofthe form of the present invention illustrated in Figs. 5 to 7 inclusive.

Generator 100 includes an outermost, elongated drum 102 within which ismounted a suitable container 104 surrounded by insulation 106. Anupstanding receptacle 108 communicating with the container 104 andpassing through the drum 102, may also be provided with a bottom wallsuch as at 32 in Figs. 3 and 4, for receiving filtering means 36 ifdesired. A dome 110 on the receptacle 108 has an outlet pipe 112comparable to pipe 68 for directing the gas to an internal combustionengine. The container 104 is provided with a horizontal partition 114that spans the distance between the side walls of the container 104 andsets out an upper compartment 116 and a lower compartment 118. Anupstanding baflie 120 at one end of the partition 114 spans the distancebetween the side walls of the container 104 and presents a space 122 foroverflow of petroleum products 124 from compartment 116 to compartment118. Petroleum products 124 are directed from the well to the container104 and particularly to the compartment 116 of the latter by means of aconduit 126 comparable to conduit 56 in Fig. 1. A second conduit 128connecting with the casing of the well and with the compartment 118 ofcontainer 104, returns the products 124 to the well. A valve 130 withinthe conduit 128 is controlled by a float 132 in the compartment 118,valve 130 opening as float 132 rises and closing as the float 132 movestoward the lowermost end of its path of travel.

The compartment 116 of container 104, houses an elongated, cylindricaltank 134 having a longitudinally extending, horizontal bafiie 136. Atube 138 for receiving exhaust fumes from an internal combustion enginecommunicates with the tank 134 above baflle 136 and a short nipple 140communicating with the tank 134 below the plate 136, directs the exhaustfumes to the atmosphere.

A heat exchanger 142 is provided by telescoping the conduit 126 withinthe conduit 128. The operation of the generator 100 is in part similarto the operation of generator 10. Petroleum products 124 are directed tothe container 104 from the well by means of conduit 126 and are returnedto the casing of the well by conduit 128. Exhaust fumes emanating fromthe engine, pass into the tank 134 by tube 138, such fumes serving toheat the products 124 within the compartment 116 of container 104. Theloose gas ends are separated and rise within the receptacle 108 andthence pass to the engine from dome 110 by way of pipe 112. The products124 pass from the compartment 116, over the uppermost end of the bafileand thence into the compartment 118 by way of space 122. The products124 return to the casing of the well by way of conduit 128 when thevalve is open.

Such operation continues as long as the engine consumes substantiallyall of the generated gas, but, if more gas is produced than is requiredby the engine, the increased pressure within the receptacle 108 andtherefore, within the container 104, operates to retard and/or stop theflow of products 124 into the container 104 by way of conduit 126. Whenthe pressure is relieved, the flow of products 124, through thecontainer 104, will continue. When the flow of products 124 into thecompartment 116 is reduced or stopped, the float 132 gradually closes,thereby maintaining a predetermined level of liquid within thecompartment 118 whenever the supply of gas in the container 104 is abovethat required by the engine.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. For use with a well having a casing closed at its uppermost end, apump in the casing provided with a line for passage of gas-bearing,liquid petroleum products from the pump to a point of storage, and aninternal combustion engine for operating said pump, structure forgenerating gas from said products to fuel the engine comprising acontainer; a pair of conduits for conveying a portion of said productsfrom the line into said container and from the container into the casingrespectively; a tank having an outlet and disposed in heat exchangerelationship to the container; a tube for directing hot exhaust fumesfrom the engine into the tank; and a pair of pipes for feeding gasrising from said products in the container from the latter to the engineand to the casing respectively.

2. For use with a well having a casing closed at its uppermost end, apump in the casing provided with a line for passage of gas-bearing,liquid, petroleum products from the pump to a point of storage, and aninternal combustion engine for operating said pump, structure forgenerating gas from said products to fuel the engine comprising acontainer having a products inlet port, a gas discharge port and aproducts discharge port; a pair of conduits for conveying a portion ofsaid products from the line into said container through said productsinlet port and from the container through said products discharge portinto the casing respectively; a tank having an outlet and disposed inheat exchange relationship to the container; a tube for directing hotexhaust fumes from the engine into the tank; and means responsive to thepressure of gas within the container and including a float-valve in saidproducts discharge port for maintaining a predetermined level of saidproducts in the container.

3. Structure for generating gas as set forth in claim 2 wherein isprovided a pair of pipes for feeding gas rising from said products inthe container from the latter to the engine and to the casingrespectively.

Hill Publishing Company, New York, New York.

